The Worldcon is the premier international science fiction event, and awards the prestigious Hugo Awards for achievement in the field of science fiction. 2014 will be the 75th anniversary of the first Worldcon, in New York in 1939, since when the event has been held every year apart from a break during the Second World War. It was last hosted by London in 1965, nearly fifty years ago.

Y'know the Hugo awards given out each year? To get a Hugo, you need to be shortlisted by attendees from the most recent and next WorldCon, then win the ballot of the attendees of just that WorldCon. So if you go to a WorldCon, you get to vote on who wins, etc.

Plus, also, a lot of major authors have a habit of turning up. Which is also nice. I'd love to go to a WorldCon (last UK one was before I'd heard of it), and this'd be great. They have an LJ Comm (londonin2014), a Twitter feed and a Facebook page, so you can go find more info &c. But, y'know, regardles, watch the vid, it's really well done, even if it is a bit over reliant on Doctor Who stuff.

Gah, sometimes you can try to be too clever. Bottom link is to Andrew's fix of the crossposter code, which theoretically auto-selects a userpic, gets the timestamp right and removes the auto formatting. Except that having done so, it's not posted at all today. So either del.icio.us is playing up or I've messed my code. Anyone want to lay odds? Apologies for the messy appearance, this is a copy/paste from my profile there. Still, it works.

A Hungarian porn producer has filed his tax forms, and claimed scene dressing props as legitimate business expenses. So the tax inspectors have to watch his films to confirm they're used. Apparently 'It's a hard job'

I'm not enough of a scientist to know if this holds water at all, written from a sceptic perspective I think, but I don't discount the anti-climate change position completely, doubt is good. Anyone able to expand, confirm or debunk?

Not a bad general guide about what is and isn't acceptable on someone else's blog, and most of it applies to me as well (although the bits about huge readership numbers and similar aren't, natch). Freedom of speech doesn't apply.

What happens when a group of gamers who prefer European/German board games get told they have to play Advanced Squad Leader?

"These rules," he wailed, "all these rules! Look at them--rules for smoke screens, rules for vehicles, rules for tanks who don't have turrets... rules... too many rules. Too much conflict--I don't want to shoot anyone, I just want to move wooden cubes and trains across the board--where is the auction system? Why can't we bid on who gets shot?"

I know how they feel. I've met players of all the types listed, and more. I can see older versions of myself and friends in some of them. Via Mr Pink himself. I is sat in bed watching Jennie's birthday present from pmoodie, having eaten a midnight snack of haloumi, oat bread and carrots. Life is goooood...

Viadavidnm, The 40 most memorable aliens - Times Online. The ranking system is a little strange, and it should more properly be entitled 'extraterrestrial intelligences' rather than aliens. Number two is obvious, number one? Well, everything else on the list is fictional...

Our internet went down yesterday, has just come back up, but I've got to be off in half an hourNOW (oops) to meet a certain person at the MegaBus stop. So skimming back on the friends page, don't be expecting comments for a bit...

The Science Fiction Writers Association (of America) was, until recently, a mostly dead dog. Then scalzi decided to run as a write-in candidate for their presidency,a nd suddenly everyone is taking an interest again. One of the issues that has come up in the campaign is that of giving away free e-books web promotions and similar. Now, there's a lot of debate about this, and some of the negative points are strong, and valid. But some of them, well, they're really not.

So, next Monday, give away something for free online; post something on your journal, write a story, etc. I'm not an author, not a writer, but to keep in the spirit of the thing, would anyone want an SEO/site usability analysis from me, to be published openly here?

Oh, and try to come up with something for yourself as well, as the more the merrier I say, because being a pixel-stained technopeasant might be fun...

Well, I have been. I've just DL'd from the audio section a few tracks, and listened to Creep. If, like me, you're an early Radiohead fan (because Pablo Honey was their best album, I don't care if they disagree), go download and listen to Creep:

Hurt (NIN)Creep (Radiohead)Twilight (Elliott Smith)Rainbow Disconnection (Updated Version)Something I Can Never Have (NIN)

Um, yeah, explicit lyrics warning, but as a paen to how special Miss Piggy is/was? so very cool. Creepy, but cool.

In a frequently quoted incident, the wife of King Leonidas was allegedly asked why Spartan women were the only women in Greece who "ruled" their husbands. Gorgo replied, "because we are the only women who give birth to men." In other words, only men with the self-confidence to accept women as equals were men at all.

Sounds good to me. From what I'm hearing, the film is fun as well. Don't think 'd have wanted to live there, but can't argue with that attitude.

Mega-City One -- The disgraced Judge Mat Bowles was today sentenced to 20 years on the penal colony of Titan after what arresting officer Judge Dredd described as "a career in corruption."

An experienced member of Justice Department, whose several textbooks on Applied Violence at the Academy of Law were considered required reading for cadets, it is thought Bowles has been taking bribes from the major crime syndicates for much of his fifteen-year career.

British Liberal, house husband, school play leader and stepdad. Campaigner, atheistic feminist, amateur baker. Male.

Known to post items of interest on occasions. More likely to link to interesting stuff. Sometimes talks about stuff he's done. Occasionally posts recipes for good food. Planning to get married, at some point. Enjoying life in Yorkshire.

Likes comments. Especially likes links. Loves to know where people came from and what they were looking for. Mostly posts everything publicly. Sometimes doesn't. Hi.

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I'm the Chair of the Brighouse branch of the Liberal Democrats & the membership secretary for Calderdale Lib Dems and run the web campaign for the local candidates. I have a job, a stepdaughter and a life. Here's the legal text:Printed by Dreamwidth LLC, Maryland, USA. Published and promoted by Mat Bowles (Liberal Democrat) of Brighouse, West Yorkshire.